Surplus funds generated by a regional daily’s campaign to honour its patch’s war veterans have been donated to charity.

The Burton Mail raised more than £2,500 to create memorial trees to men and women from its patch who had served in the armed forces.

The Mail has now announced that £1,080 left over from the appeal has been split between the Burton and Swadlincote branches of the Royal British Legion.

Previously, £500 raised by the campaign was donated to the RBL to save last year’s remembrance parade in Burton upon Trent after the event was put in jeopardy due to a lack of funding.

The Mail achieved its target in August 2015

Mail editor Emma Turton said: “It was great that the community came out to support the Pennies for Our Heroes campaign. We were overwhelmed with the backing it received.

“The trees we have bought will be a lasting and living memorial for those who made the sacrifice for our freedom, but the community raised so much, we had to think about what to do with it.

“What better way to spend it than give it to the charity supporting our troops and their families? We felt it was important having remembered those who have gone before us to help those making the same sacrifices in the here and now.

“I want to thank the community for their efforts and generosity; they really have made a difference.”